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Following are excerpts from an interview with Captain Amr Mitwali, an Egyptian army medical office participating in the Tahrir Square demonstrations. It aired on Al-Arabiya TV on November 23, 2011.
Capt. Amr Mitwali: These are the most honorable demonstrations witnessed by Egypt since January 25, 2011. I am joining these demonstrations. Driven by my conscience, I have taken upon myself to protect the demonstrators – or rather, the rebels – in Tahrir Square.
I am joining my comrades, the army officers – both in active duty and retired – who are protecting the rebels in Tahrir Square from the violence of the police and the army... the violence of the forces who have been deluded into thinking that they are fighting the enemies of the country, while in fact, they are fighting heroic rebels, who deserve our protection.
I am defending the honor of this military uniform from its defilement by Field Marshal Tantawi and the Military Council.
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The people understand full well that the Military Council is one thing and the Egyptian army is another. The Military Council lost its legitimacy among the Egyptian army long ago. From the days of Mubarak, it has lost its legitimacy among the officers and soldiers of the armed forces, due to our mistreatment and the internal oppression. Suffice to say that some officers were thrown into military prison for reading the Al-Dustour newspaper.
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